42Media’s New Wide Screen Service Helps Merchants Get the Message Out

BY CANDICE REED

Mike Palomata, general sales manager of Tony McCune Chrysler Jeep in National City, just made it easier for customers to keep track of their favorite TV shows.

“I’ve got four 42-inch TV screens hanging from the walls,” he said. “This dealership is 60 years old, but now when people walk in and see the TVs it’s like shock and awe. They really love it.”

While ballgames and soap operas air, digital messages provided by San Diego-based 42Media Inc. tout the dealer’s body shop, plus a local tire store and an insurance company are shown in the split screen.

“In car dealerships, typically you don’t know what you can get from them after you buy a car,” said 42Media Inc. owner and president, Wesley Mashburn. “We put together a package of television programming with custom messages so that customers can see everything offered.”

The new company rolled out its product earlier this year and though Mashburn is the first to admit the idea isn’t new , Wal-Mart stores and Shell Oil have been doing it for years , he does say that his particular technology, which grabs attention at the point of sale, is the latest twist in video advertising.

“This concept has been around but you would have to buy tens of thousands of dollars of software and hire a tech,” he said. “After installing the program, you would then pay about $10,000 a month to keep it going. We have a better idea in that businesses can use the signage to reinforce their messages, whether it is advertising products and services or telling the company story.”

Mashburn and son Ryan, who is vice president of technology, typically charge $5,000 to create their own private network for a year, which includes licensing and upgrades plus $350 a month to maintain the site.

Once screens are installed, a phone call or e-mail address is all it takes to change the content, which is usually completed in a few hours.

The system runs like a television network.

“It’s pretty much free for me so it’s a no-brainer,” said Palomata. “I tell my vendors that they’re putting an ad up on the screen if they want to do business. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

The new company says it has five clients on its roster, which includes local car dealerships and the Denver Museum of Nature